CVE-2019-12261 in VxWorks
Summary
by MITRE
Wind River VxWorks 6.7 though 6.9 and vx7 has a Buffer Overflow in the TCP component (issue 3 of 4). This is an IPNET security vulnerability: TCP Urgent Pointer state confusion during connect() to a remote host.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/24/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-12261 represents a critical buffer overflow condition within the TCP component of Wind River VxWorks operating systems versions 6.7 through 6.9 and vx7. This issue constitutes the third of four identified problems within the IPNET security vulnerability framework, specifically targeting the TCP urgent pointer state management during the connect() system call process. The vulnerability manifests when a remote host attempts to establish a TCP connection, creating a scenario where the system's handling of urgent pointer states becomes confused and leads to memory corruption.
The technical flaw stems from improper validation and handling of TCP urgent pointer data structures during connection establishment phases. When a TCP connection is initiated through the connect() function, the system processes urgent pointer information that should normally be managed according to standard TCP RFC specifications. However, in the affected VxWorks versions, the implementation fails to properly validate the urgent pointer values, allowing malicious inputs to overwrite adjacent memory locations. This memory corruption occurs because the system does not properly bounds-check the urgent pointer data before incorporating it into internal TCP state structures, leading to potential buffer overflow conditions that can be exploited by remote attackers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across various industrial and embedded systems that rely on Wind River VxWorks for their network communications. These systems include but are not limited to industrial control systems, automotive networks, medical devices, and communication infrastructure equipment where VxWorks serves as the underlying operating system. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication, making it particularly dangerous for systems that are exposed to external network traffic. Successful exploitation could result in system crashes, denial of service conditions, or potentially allow remote code execution depending on the specific implementation details and memory layout of the affected system.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate system updates to the latest available VxWorks patches provided by Wind River, as these releases contain the necessary code modifications to properly validate urgent pointer data structures. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of affected systems to untrusted networks, while also monitoring for anomalous network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security professionals should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious TCP connection patterns involving urgent pointer manipulation, as this vulnerability aligns with attack techniques categorized under the MITRE ATT&CK framework's network infiltration and privilege escalation domains. The vulnerability maps to CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a significant risk for industrial control systems that may lack the robust security monitoring capabilities found in enterprise environments, making it particularly concerning for critical infrastructure protection efforts.